Confucius Institute at Ateneo de Manila University (Memo U2425-016)

In 2006, a partnership was forged between Ateneo de Manila University and the Sun-Yat Sen University in Guangzhou, China, establishing the first Confucius Institute in the Philippines.  Since then, the Confucius Institute at Ateneo de Manila University has sought to promote Chinese language among interested learners, and to cultivate a thoughtful understanding and appreciation of contemporary Chinese culture and Chinese people.

From its birth and throughout the past 18 years, the Ateneo Confucius Institute has been very ably led by its Founding Director, Professor Emeritus Ellen H Palanca PhD, who has now opted to completely retire from University work. I wish to thank Professor Palanca for her generous service to the University, and for providing invaluable leadership in and dedication to promoting the Chinese language and culture, fostering educational exchanges, and building strong international partnerships. In a world that is ever more divided and polarized, partnerships such as this can remind each of us of our shared humanity, and through Professor Palanca’s example we see the value of continuously striving to bridge cultural divides. 

As Ateneo gratefully wishes Professor Palanca a happy retirement, we also welcome Mr Cris Gilbert H Garcia as the new Director of the Ateneo Confucius Institute from 1 June 2024 to 9 February 2027. Previously, Mr Garcia was appointed as the Institute’s Associate Director in June 2023, as a Program Officer since 2020, and as part-time Mandarin Chinese Language Coordinator and Instructor since 2011.  He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.